Friday, September 5, 2014

Capture the Sunshine

It's September already... how did that happen?!? Time to take advantage of the bountiful summer produce. Whether or not you are a member of a CSA or have access to a farmer's market, many grocery stores have local produce available.

Stock up on summer's bounty this weekend, and take an hour or so to prepare a few warm weather favorites.

There are numerous health benefits in line with the Aryuvedic principals of eating seasonally, but it's definitely nice to capture and savor a taste of some of summer's sunshine in the cold winter months. ;)

I've been saving a few flavors of summer with a few pestos for my freezer. I love pestos with my Zoodles; to brighten up any sandwich, soup or marinade; and to use a few spoonfuls as the base of a yummy salad dressing. It's best to make this within a day or two of buying or harvesting the herbs or greens, especially cilantro, before it wilts and browns from moisture of storing it in the fridge.

• Using a food processor, process the basil and garlic.
• Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl, add the olive oil, cashew nuts (if using), apple cider vinegar, and salt. The nutritional yeast gives the paste a "cheese" flavor. Blend. Serve or store.

The acidity of the vinegar keeps these herbs' lovely greenness, and lasts a much longer time in the fridge too! Alternatively, it's a good idea is to freeze portions in an ice cube tray, so you can use a little at a time.

OVEN-ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

Make a big batch so you don't need to buy any processed stuff. Have a few mason jars to store them.

6 lbs (3 kg) fresh tomatoes1 red bell pepper

2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

4 Tbsp olive oil

Large bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tsp sea salt

½-1 tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)

1-2 tsp GF brown rice syrup or turbinado sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F (130°C). Quarter the tomatoes and the pepper. Rinse out the seeds. Place onto two baking sheets. Toss with chopped onion, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and cayenne pepper, if using. Roast for 1½ hours. Let cool and peel off skins (optional). Place into a food processor, add brown rice syrup (or sugar), and puree. I only made half of this recipe this time, and just filled the clean jars which I will keep in the fridge. For proper preserving / canning methods, click here.

FRESH CORN Simply remove the husk and silk, snap them in half, and cut the kernels off with a large, sharp knife. Store in freezer bags.